As Crime Rates Fall, Domestic Homicides Are Surging In Chicago. Why?

While homicide totals and most other violent crime figures dropped in Chicago last year, homicides that resulted from domestic violence increased by 15 percent, according to the city’s violence reduction dashboard.

Advocates say the surge in violent abuse is due to “a tornado of risk factors,” including longstanding issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, such as unstable employment, food insecurity and homelessness. 

Host - Jon Hansen

Reporter - Mina Bloom

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Block Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods deserve to be covered in a meaningful way.

We amplify positive stories, cover development and local school council meetings and serve as watchdogs in neighborhoods often ostracized by traditional news media.

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Since our launch seven years ago, we've published more than 30,000 stories from the neighborhoods, covered hundreds of community meetings and send daily and neighborhood newsletters to more than 150,000 Chicagoans. 

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Some of us have internalized the national media's narrative of a broken Chicago. We aim to change that by celebrating our neighborhoods and chronicling the resilience of the people who fight every day to make Chicago a better place for all.